Electrically operated solitaire ticktacktoe game



Aug. 25, 1964 I Filed Oct. 4, 1962 A- M. ARCHER ELECTRICALLY OPERATEDSOLITAIRE TICKTACKTOE GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 1s 24 i6 15 15 12 +5 2416 a '22 34 30a .sob 58 4 F |G.2 w

INVENTOR ANDREW M. ARCHER BYWW A. M. ARCHER Aug. 25, 1964 ELECTRICALLYOPERATED SOLITAIRE TICKTACKTOE GAME Filed Oct. 4; 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3FIG.6B

Aug. 25, 1964 A. M. ARCHER 3,145,993

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SOLITAIRE TICKTACKTOE GAME Filed Oct. 4, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 4 I r e a '26 I V 2Q United States Patent 3,145,993ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SOLITAIRE TICKTACKTOE GAME Andrew M. Archer,Rineon Annex, Seamans Section, San Francisco, Calif. Filed Oct. 4, 1962,Ser. No. 228,281 7 Claims. (Cl. 273130) The present invention relates tothe game known under the name of ticktacktoe, which is played by twopersons who mark alternately circles or crosses, respectively, into thefields of a checker board with the intention of completing a row ofcircles or crosses, as the case may be, while preventing the opponentfrom doing the same.

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus by means ofwhich a single person may play the described game under conditionssimulating the moves of an opponent.

More particularly it is an object of my invention to provide anapparatus in the form of a checker board upon which a player may makeidentifying marks and which in response to such marks will automaticallydisplay marks such as an opposing player would provide to counteract theplayers moves and nullify his intentions.

Yet another object is to provide an apparatus, of the type referred to,that may be set to make occasional errors so that the player has achance to win.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, of thetype referred to, that is of a simple and inexpensive construction,involves a minimum of electrical connections, and does not requirerelays, thermionic tubes or transistors.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment thereof and wherein FIGURE 1 is a plan view of theapparatus of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross section through the apparatus taken alongline 2--2 of FIGURE 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrowsassociated with said line.

FIGURE 3 is a diagram of the control circuitry of the apparatus, drawnas viewed from the top of the apparatus.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective of one of the markers employed in playing thegame to mark a cross upon the fields of the board.

FIGURES 5A and 5B are side elevations of a multiple switch mechanismemployed in the control circuit of the apparatus, illustrating differentoperational positions thereof; and

FIGURES 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are diagrams showing a selected part of thecontrol circuitry of FIGURE 3 in different operational positions.

In accordance with my invention I provide a translucent checker boardwherein each field is provided with a centrally located aperture, and Iprovide symbols or markers such as cross bars mounted upon anelectrically conductive stem, with which the player may mark his fieldsby inserting the stem into the apertures thereof; and below thetranslucent checker board I arrange electric circuitry that causes aluminous sign, such as a luminous circle, to light up under apredetermined field of the board in response to the insertion, by theplayer, of a marker into a field of the board. In this manner the movesof an opponent are simulated by the apparatus. Depending upon thedetails of the circuitry below the board, the apparatus of the inventionmay be arranged to respond appropriately to any move on the part of theplayer. In such a case the player cannot win the game, he can only hopeto tie the game, or may lose the game. According to a modifiedembodiment of the invention I arrange the electric control circuitrybelow the board in such a manner that the apparatus fails at times torespond in the proper manner, so that the player has a chance to win.

Having first reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus of my inventioncomprises a flat rectangular box 10 whose top wall may be formed by aboard 12 of wood or plastic material, that is divided into nine squarefields F to E, by heavy black lines 14. Provided in each of said fieldsis a centrally located aperture 15 that passes through the board 12, andeach of its said fields, except the center field, possesses adjacent toits aperture 15 a cylindrical hole or recess 16 of sufficient size toreceive a small bulb or lamp L. Placed upon the top of the board is astiff sheet 18 of a translucent material such as parchment paper. Saidsheet may removably be held in position upon the board by inwardlyturned resilient lips 20 that project upwardly from the side walls 22 ofthe box. Provided on the underside of said sheet in axial alignment witheach of the recesses 16 are opaque circular marks 24 of a somewhatsmaller diameter than the maximum diameter of said recesses. Hence,whenever one of the bulbs in said recesses is illuminated, a luminouscircle seems to appear upon the translucent sheet 18.

The markers or symbols 26 with which the player 0perates, comprise astem 27 of conductive material, such as metal, which fits snugly intothe apertures 15 in the center of the fields F, and upon which may besupported a pair of cross bars 28 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Wheneverthe stem of one of said markers is inserted into one of the apertures 15in the fields F, it is effective to close an electric circuit throughwhatever lamp L must light up to prevent the player from planting a rowof three consecutive markers 26 upon the board 18.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention which I am about to explain,is based upon the assumption that every player will plant his firstmarker upon the center field F Insertion of the conductive stem of amarker into the aperture 15 in field F is, therefore, arranged to closean electrical power circuit through the lamp in one of the four cornersof the board, say lamp L below field F so that a luminous circle appearsin said fieldwhich is the proper counter move that any player of averageintelligence would make. Secured to the underside of the board at eitherside of the aperture 15 in field F are tWo arched lips 30a and 30b of aresilient conductive material, such as brass, that are spaced from eachother (FIGURE 2), but extend with their convex sides into the spacebelow the aperture 15. Said lips lie in, and normally interrupt, thepower circuit of lamp L (FIGURE 3). This circuit includes a batteryindicated at 32 that may be a simple flash light battery and which issuitably secured to the underside of the board. When the stem of amarker 26 enters the space between the lips 30a and 30b and establishesconductive contact with both said lips, it closes said power circuit andlamp L lights up so that a luminous circle appears in field F of theboard, which represents the proper counter move of an imaginary opponent(FIG- URE 3).

For simplicity of construction and cheapness, each of the lamps Lcomprised in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings may be engaged in an aperture provided in a commonsheet metal frame 34 (FIGURE 2) that is secured to the underside ofboard 12 and which is permanently connected to one pole of the battery32 and thus establishes a permanent connection of all the lampscomprised in the apparatus to said pole. The other terminals of saidlamps which are usually located at the bottom of their necks arearranged to contact yieldable metal tongues which form part ofindividual brackets 38 that are secured to the underside of the board12; and said brackets may individually be connected to the opposite poleof the battery 32 by insertion of a marker 26 into a hole 15 of a fieldF into 3 contact with the lips 30a and 30b located below said hole.

Reverting now to the actual conduct of the game, a player intent to winthe game will now place a marker onto one of the remaining free fields.Arranged below the aperture 15 in everyone of fields F F F F F F and Ftherefore is a pair of such normally spaced contact lips each lying inthe power circuit of a lamp arranged below an opposite field. In theexemplary embodiment of the invention represented by FIGURE 3, the opencontacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L below fieldF the contacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L thecontacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L thecontacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L thecontacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L and thecontacts 30 below field F lie in the power circuit of lamp L However,the contacts 30 below field F do not lie in the power circuit of thediagonally opposite lamp L for this lamp was energized by the first moveof the player, i.e. by insertion of a marker into the hole below thecenter field F as was explained above, and insertion of a marker intothe hole of field F is therefore arranged to close a second powercircuit for lamp L With the connections as explained above, when theplayer places a marker into anyone of the (remaining) fields, a lamp inan oppositely positioned field lights up, and a circle appears in saidfield representing the proper counter move of an imaginary opponent,which frustrates any plan, on the players part, to complete a row ofmarkers.

To avoid that insertion of markers into the apertures of fields F and Fmay close two power circuits through lamp L and thus efiect less thanperfect operation of the apparatus of the invention in that itduplicates and therefore wastes a counter move, I provide below field F,a multiple switch mechanism collectively identified by the referencenumeral 39 (FIGURES 2, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D). Upon insertion of amarker stem into the aperture of field F) and resultant energization oflamp L by closure of the contact lips 30a, 30b below field F (FIGURE6C), this switch mechanism 39 detours the power path established byinsertion of a marker into the aperture 15 of field F through lamp LHaving particular reference to FIGURES 3, 5A and 6A, the power circuitof lamp L which passes through the normally disconnected contact lips30a, 30b below field F includes a normally closed switch that is formedby a pair of blades 40 and 41 which are secured to the underside ofboard 12 and straddle the contact lips 30a, 30b below field F Blade 41forms a run that extends adjacent the path of a marker stem pushedthrough aperture 15 of field F Blade 40 forms an arch that curves (belowthe tip of a marker stem 27 pushed through aperture 15) into contactwith the fiat side of the tip of blade 41. Above said tip the verticalrun of blade 41 carries a cover 42 of insulating material that extendsinto the path of a marker stem pushed through aperture 15. Arrangedadjacent blade 41 is another arched contact blade 44 of a conformationsymmetrical to blade 4% and the tip of said blade 44 is normally spacedfrom the tip of blade 41, as illustrated in FIGURE 5A.

When the stem of a marker is pushed through aperture 15 of field F andestablishes conductive connection between the contact lips 30a, 30bbelow said field to energize lamp L full insertion of said marker to theextent permitted by its cross bars 28 causes its stem 27 to engage theinsulating cover 42 of center blade 41 and cam said blade away from andout of contact with blade 40, while at the same time moving said bladeinto contact with the tip of blade 44 (FIGURE 5B). This disables thepower circuit of lamp L which passes through the contacts 30a, 30b belowfield F (FIGURE 6C). At the same time it re-routes any power circuitestablished, or to be established, by conductive connection of thecontact lips 30a, 30b below field F through lamp L so that insertion ofa marker stem into the aperture 15 in field F is now effective toilluminate lamp L (FIGURE 6D). Thus, insertion of a marker into theaperture of field F has a triple effect. (1) It closes a power circuitthrough lamp L; by conductively connecting the contact lips 30a, 30bbelow field F; as illustrated in FIGURE 6C. (2) It breaks the switchformed by the blades 40 and 41 and thus makes it impossible forinsertion of a marker into the aperture of field F to energize the lampL or it breaks any power circuit through lamp L that may previously havebeen established by insertion of a marker into the aperture of field Fand (3) it readies a power path to lamp L causing said lamp to light upif and when a marker is planted onto field F (FIGURE 6D). If a markershould previously have been planted onto field F and cause illuminationof lamp L (FIG- URE 6B), these occurrences happen in such quicksuccession that it appears as if lamp L continues to be illuminateduninterruptedly, and the illumination of lamp L is the direct result ofthe insertion of a marker into the aperture of field F (FIGURE 6D).

A similar multiple switch mechanism 39 may be provided below theaperture of field F to make it impossible for the lamp L to light uponce a marker has been planted upon field F and to cause insertion ofmarker stems into the apertures of fields F and F to effect illuminationof lamps L and L rather than lamps L and L Having reference to FIGURE 3,insertion of a marker into the aperture of field F completes a powercircuit through lamp L At the same time it separates the tips of thecontact blades 40 and 41 which lies in the power circuit of lamp L sothat it is impossible to illuminate lamp L whether markers are plantedupon field F7 or field F or both of said fields. Insertion of a markerinto the aperture of field F has the added effect, however, of bringingblade 41 into contact with blade 44 and thus establishes potential powerpaths to be completed by insertion of markers into the apertures offields F and F through lamps L and L respectively. Hence, once a markerhas been planted on field F later moves of the player planting markersupon fields F and/or F will not waste any counter moves of the apparatusof the invention, such as useless illumination of lamp L but will causeluminous circles to appear on still available fields of the checkerboard.

Thus, for whatever moves a player may make, the described arrangementwill automatically provide the proper responses, without wasting moveson fields that are no longer available. In this manner the apparatus ofthe invention keeps up the interest of the player and will counter everyone of his moves in an effective and not always foreseeable manner.Under ordinary circumstances the apparatus of the invention cannot bebeaten and the game can at best be a draw. In accordance with theinvention, however, I may provide one or several switches which whenmanipulated prior to playing a game, interfere with the proper responsesof the machine to the insertion of a marker in one or several of thefields of the board. In this manner it becomes possible under certaincircumstances for the player to win the game. Having reference to FIGURE3, the numeral 50 identifies a movable switch arm that lies normally inthe power circuit of lamp L below field F Ordinarily this lamp isilluminated in response to insertion of a marker into the aperture ofthe center field F However, upon setting said switch arm 50 totheposition indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 3, insertion of a markerinto the center field F operates to illuminate lamp L so that a luminouscircle appears in field F which is not the best counter move for anopposing player to ma (e. At the same time the power circuit of lamp Lis permanently disabled so that the machine is unable to create a circleupon field F during the game. This is a series handicap for the machinebecause the player may now win the game by planting a marker upon fieldF (which causes the machine to produce a circle upon field F and thenupon field F which completes a row of three markers so that the playerhas actually won the game.

While it may be of advantage to provide a multiple switch mechanism ofthe type illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 5B, and make suitable alternativeconnections below each of the fields on the board, it will usuallysufiice, and may in fact render the game more irrational and thereforemore interesting while keeping the apparatus simple and inexpensive, toprovide such multiple switch mechanism only below fields L and L asillustrated in FIGURES 3, 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D.

The described apparatus makes it possible for a single player to playthe ticktacktoe game. It is erratic in its responses, and while it willordinarily make the proper counter moves and is therefore invincible, itmay be adjusted to make occasional mistakes and let the player win. Itis of the cheapest construction and its control circuit is relativelysimple. It does not require relays, thermionic tubes or transistors andinvolves a minimum of electrical connections. It lends itself thereforeideally to use as an educational toy for the younger set.

While I have explained my invention with the aid of a particularembodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the specific constructional details and the specificcircuitry shown and described by way of example which may be departedfrom without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a board having a surface divided intofields, said fields having recesses and adjacent thereto apertures,lamps located in said recesses, and a power circuit for each lampincluding normally spaced contact members adjacent to an aperture in afield opposite to the field wherein the lamp is located.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board having a top surface divided intofields, said fields having recesses and apertures, lamps located in saidrecesses, a translucent sheet placed upon said top surface, said sheethaving opaque areas of lesser compass than said recesses in axialalignment with said recesses, and a power circuit for each lampincluding normally spaced contact members adjacent to an aperture in afield opposite to the field wherein the lamp is located.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board having a top surface divided intofields, said fields having recesses and apertures passing through theboard to the underside thereof, lamps located in said recesses, atranslucent sheet arranged upon the top surface of said board and havingopaque areas of lesser compass than said recesses located above saidrecesses, and a normally interrupted power circuit for each of saidlamps including a pair of normally spaced contact members secured to theunderside of said board adjacent to an aperture passing through a fieldlocated opposite to the field wherein the lamp is located.

4. A ticktacktoe game apparatus comprising a board having a top surfacedivided into square fields, said fields having circular recesses andadjacent thereto apertures passing through the board to the undersidethereof, lamps located in said recesses, a translucent sheet arrangedupon the top surface of said board and having in axial alignment withsaid recesses opaque circular areas of lesser diameter than saidrecesses, and a normally interrupted power circuit for each lamparranged below said board and including a pair of spaced contact memberssecured to the underside of said board adjacent to an aperture passingthrough a field located opposite to the field wherein the lamp islocated, to be conductively connected by insertion of a conductive steminto the aperture into conductive contact with said members toilluminate the lamp and display a luminous circle through saidtranslucent sheet in the field above said lamp.

5. In a game apparatus of the type described, an arrangement foravoiding duplication in the responses of the apparatus to the insertionof markers into different fields of a board, said arrangement comprisinga first lamp in a first field, a second lamp in a second field, a thirdfield having an aperture for the insertion of the conductive stem of amarker, a fourth field having an aperture for the insertion of theconductive stern of a marker, a first power circuit for said first lampincluding spaced conductive contact members located adjacent theaperture in said third field and adapted for conductive connection byinsertion of a marker stem into the aperture in said third field, asecond power circuit for said first lamp including a pair of spacedconductive contact members located adjacent said aperture in said fourthfield and adapted for conductive connection by insertion of a markerstem into the aperture in said fourth field, and means renderedeffective by insertion of a marker stem into the aperture in said fourthfield for shunting said first lamp from said first power circuit androuting said first power circuit through said second lamp.

6. In an automatic ticktacktoe game apparatus of the type described, anarrangement for avoiding duplication in the responses of the apparatusto the insertion of markers into different fields of a board, saidarrangement comprising a first lamp in a first field, a second lamp in asecond field, a third field having an aperture for the insertion of theconductive stem of a marker, a fourth field having an aperture for theinsertion of the conductive stern of a marker, a first power circuit forsaid first lamp including a pair of normally spaced conductive contactmembers located adjacent the aperture in said third field and adaptedfor conductive connection by insertion of a conductive marker stem intothe aperture in said third field and a pair of yieldable contact bladesin conductive contact with each other adjacent the aperture in saidfourth field and adapted for separation from each other by insertion ofa marker stem into the aperture of said fourth field, a second powercircuit for said first lamp including a pair of spaced conductivecontact members located adjacent the aperture in said fourth fieldadapted for conductive connection by insertion of a conductive markerstem into the aperture in said fourth field, and a power circuit forsaid second lamp including said normally spaced contact members adjacentthe aperture in said third field, one of the normally closed contactblades adjacent the aperture in said fourth field and a contact memberadjacent to and normally spaced from said last mentioned contact bladein a position to be contacted by said last mentioned contact blade whensaid normally closed contact blades are separated from each other byinsertion of a marker stem into the aperture in said fourth field.

7. Arrangement according to claim 6 wherein said last mentioned contactblade has an insulating cover extending into the path of a marker steminserted into the aperture in said fourth field.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS655,264 Nichol Aug. 7, 1900 2,302,849 Frank et al. Nov. 24, 19422,670,208 Wales Feb. 23, 1954 2,811,359 Haufe Oct. 29, 1957 2,844,374French July 22, 1958 2,877,019 Keister Mar. 10, 1959 2,923,800 Borde eta1 Feb. 2, 1960 2,951,703 Arnold Sept. 6, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 646,542Canada Aug. 14, 1962

1. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A BOARD HAVING A SURFACE DIVIDED INTOFIELDS, SAID FIELDS HAVING RECESSES AND ADJACENT THERETO APERTURES,LAMPS LOCATED IN SAID RECESSES, AND A POWER CIRCUIT FOR EACH LAMPINCLUDING NORMALLY SPACED CONTACT MEMBERS ADJACENT TO AN APERTURE IN AFIELD OPPOSITE TO THE FIELD WHEREIN THE LAMP IS LOCATED.